


100 Night Vale Drabbles

by longhairshortfuse



Series: That thin line covered in jellyfish [19]
Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: 100 Drabble Challenge, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-01
Updated: 2014-11-14
Packaged: 2018-02-15 17:49:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 100
Words: 10,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2237964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/longhairshortfuse/pseuds/longhairshortfuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The E rating won't apply to many of these at all.</p><p>I found a list of drabble prompts here:<br/>http://kathrineroid.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/100-themes-challenge-writing-prompts/</p><p>Looked like fun and manageable now I'm back at work.</p><p>Inspired by kelli113 who has a different list.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

The door opened. One man stood back and waved the other two men in. Two followed one to the kitchen.

She stared.

"So you're the one he," she pointed, "keeps telling me about?"  
The shorter man shrugged. "Does he?"  
"All. The. Time." 

He smiled and turned. "Do you?"  
The taller man smiled. "I might have mentioned you once or twice."

She stuck out her hand. "I'm Janice. Nice to meet you Carlos."  
He shook the hand. "Nice to meet you too." 

Three hours later the door banged and Janice yelled.   
"Hi dad! Can Uncle Cecil and Uncle Carlos babysit again?"


	2. Complicated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cecil tries to explain Steve.

It's like this.  
I met him for the first time at my sister's wedding so he's my brother in law.  
But his dad married my mom, who's not my sister's mom, making him my step brother too, right?  
Then he found out that my mom really is his mom. She had him real young and gave him up for adoption. None of us knew. So he is also my half brother.

Steve is my brother in law, step brother and half brother all at once.  
And a total jerk.

So that's why I put our relationship status as "it's complicated".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I _think_ this works...


	3. Making History

"Eternal Scout! That's awesome, what an achievement for your boys!"  
Earl nodded as Cecil enthused. The two scouts stood nervously at a distance.  
"Can I interview you about the ceremony on my show? Before and after?"

Earl tightened his lips into a narrow line and furrowed his brow, slowly shaking his head.  
"Oh go on, it's not often we get to witness someone making history."  
Earl sighed and shook his head. He spoke as he turned to walk away.

Cecil stood, mouth open, a frown of confusion on his face.  
"Earl, what did you mean by _we could've had something?"_


	4. Rivalry

"Best of three."  
Cecil grinned. Carlos rolled his eyes and fetched more reactants.

"One... Two... GOGGLES!"

Test tubes clinked into racks.  
Hydrochloric acid poured carefully.  
Magnesium ribbon dropped in.  
Fizz of hydrogen bubbles.  
Cover with a thumb.  
Wait... patience pays!  
Bunsen burner...  
Lit taper....  
POP! pop.

"Mine was louder than yours Uncle Cecil. I won again. Uncle Carlos, best of five?"  
"Janice, you must accept the evidence that you are a better scientist than your Uncle Cecil."

Carlos smiled. "Watch this."  
He filled a balloon from the hydrogen cylinder, tied it so it floated.  
Flame...  
BANG!

"Uncle Carlos wins again."


	5. Unbreakable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might need a sick-bag.

It took a year to forge, this bond they had.  
A year populated with subtle, nervous signals in person and open declarations in the fake privacy of a studio.

It took a disaster to make him think about his own life. What he might want, need.  
What he might miss.

That night, sitting on his car, he took a risk. Made a connection.  
And it was so easy after all.  
A text. Some words. A gentle, tentative touch.

It took another year to get to this state.  
So much pain, so much distance.

But Carlos knew their bond was unbreakable.


	6. Obsession

 Cecil couldn't think about anything else sometimes. It filled his mind when he was awake, shaped his dreams when he was asleep. He talked about his obsession on the radio and to anyone who would listen.

The interns hid from him when they could, ducking into the washrooms or cupboards when they saw Cecil approaching along the corridors.

Josie just rolled her eyes and waited for him to get over it.

He never mentioned it to Janice, though, it wouldn't have been fair.  
He told Carlos and Carlos asked why.

"I like him. What has Steve ever done to you?"


	7. Eternity

The time between speaking to Carlos for the first time and his reply.  
The time for Carlos to use the number and call. Not for personal reasons.  
How long it took to hear that the worst news was not true and jeez, the traffic lights on the way to the Arby's!  
How long he sat waiting for his touch.  
How long they sat, hand on knee and head on shoulder.  
And how long before _I am calling for personal reasons!_   
The time for disappointment to turn into excited joy of an unexpected kiss.

Cecil knows what an eternity feels like.


	8. Gateway

Carlos looked out.  
Pink sand for miles.  
A mountain, small but real nonetheless.  
A lighthouse that no longer blinked.  
So much to study, so much still to find out.   
Strange skeletons bleached by the terrible light.

He did not know what time it was, but knew that it was time to call.  
Home.  
One ring and a panicked answer.  
"Carlos? You okay?"  
"Cecil I'm fine."  
A quiet moment shared.  
"I have been looking, Cecil, I really have."  
"I know."  
"But I just can't find anything. No door, no gateway."  
"Keep looking, Carlos."  
"What if there's no way back to you?"


	9. Death

The nervous woman knocked on the studio door.  
"You have a visitor, Mr Palmer, sir."  
"Call me Cecil," with a laugh. "Selfie!"  
Side by side, smiling.  
"Your visitor..."  
"Who is it?"  
The door opened further and the studio was suddenly full.  
"Earl! You came! Intern...?"  
"Jo."  
"...will bring us coffee."  
Jo went to the break room and gave the coffee machine a hard stare. It stared back. She had been warned.

One smear of blood just there.  
Push those four buttons together.  
Pull the lever and chant.

Death looked up.  
"Another one already! Why do you interns always look surprised?"


	10. Opportunities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For psychosomatic86,  
> Here, have some fluff.

They led busy lives, argued over cancelled dates.  
He knew it was mostly his fault. Science happens, he said, and I can't ignore it.  
So you ignore me instead? came the reply.  
That cut off his excuses at the source.

Carlos had thirty minutes exactly said the countdown display on the machine.  
He ran out, drove like a lunatic, parked badly.  
Breathing heavily, he waved at the intern to let him in.  
He ran to the studio, interrupted Cecil with a passionate kiss, ran out again.

"Excuse me listeners, I think my boyfriend is finally taking advantage of unexpected opportunities."


	11. 33%

"I can't get used to this."

"What's wrong?"

"I remember us together before re-education and scout ceremonies took me from you."

"We're together again. I remember being friends, there's a gaping void where you're gone and I met someone. I totally believe that we had something more."  
The someone returned and slipped under the sheet, snuggled in, sandwiching Earl.

"Earl's fretting. What can we do?"

Carlos kissed Earl gently.  
"He needs more evidence that polyamorous relationships can be satisfying. Preliminary tactile exploration suggests he's looking forward to being tonight's lucky 33% in the middle."

Earl could get used to that.


	12. Dead Wrong

Cecil was furious.  
"You have no concern over the consequences of words. You should know better. You know what happens to jerks who talk."

Steve knew. His wife had told him about her brother, the midnight car that took him away, dumped him two days later, shaking, bruised and barely able to remember his own name, let alone that he had family.

All because he talked about truth the way Steve did. He used stories now, meanings hidden for attentive listeners to find.

"If you think I'm going to let you earn re-education and hurt our family, you're dead wrong."


	13. Running Away

"Cecil, it has to stop."  
Carlos looked upset. They barely knew each other yet, hardly spoke.  
Cecil, crestfallen, asked what was wrong.  
"Your show, the things you say. Your imagination is running away with you. Please stop."

Cecil asked again, what exactly had he said?  
"You talk as if I'm perfect. I'm not, I can't live up to your ideal."  
Cecil started to protest.  
"Stop. I'm not what you expect, not like you say. How can I even dream that I'm good enough to be with you when..."  
Carlos froze.

Cecil smiled joyfully.  
"You dream of being with me? Neat!"


	14. Judgment

"I get to choose?"  
"Sure, honey."  
"Daaaad!"  
"Sorry, Janice."

She surveyed the colour coded offerings on the table.

Red: Nice texture, bland taste, were those cherries?  
Blue: surprisingly savoury, sharp tang of cheese, she wished she had checked before trying one with jam.  
Green: a little dry, quite sweet, would go well with a hot drink.   
Yellow: she was sure she could taste the plastic shrink wrap she saw in the bin earlier. 

"Difficult to sit in judgment when the standard is so high!" she tasted each again.  
"Blue wins."

"Yesss!" Uncle Earl cheered.  
"Unfair advantage!"   
"Suck it up, Cecil!"


	15. Seeking Solace

"Cecil?"  
"Carlos! I was just thinking about you."  
"I feel sad. I miss you."

Silence Cecil understood.  
"I thought about holding you."  
"Mmm?"  
"You touching me."  
"Oh?"  
"Your hands on my skin as I kiss you, rubbing my back, sliding lower..."  
"Uhhuh"  
"My hands on your chest, playing, teasing..."  
"Mmhmm?"  
"Can you imagine?"  
"Yes!"  
"Your hands on my ass, I move lower, touch your cock..."  
"Can I..."  
"...gently stroke it's length..."  
"Cecil..."  
"...you grip my hair, I sink to my knees and..."  
"Aah!"  
"...lick and suck ahahand... fifinger uhuhuntil... uhh"  
"Fuhuhuck!"

"My love?"  
"Mmm?"  
"I was also seeking solace tonight."

\----------

 

He looked at the bottle, opened it and shook out two white circles. Water. More water.  
The initial gulp hurt his stomach, cold where it hit and made him retch.  
Sipping slowly, take the glass back to bed. Head under, pretend nothing else exists.  
Still dark. 

Later. Light now. Head up and it hurts. Head down and the room spins.  
Stomach still wants to.... whoa! Run for the bathroom. Made it. Urgh.  
Still wearing yesterday's clothes?

 _Carlos? Sorry about drunken texts yesterday. Call me?_  
Oh this is bad.  
But seeking solace in margaritas seemed such a good idea last night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was inevitable... but you might be able to tell that I have way more experience of hangovers than phone sex.


	16. Excuses

I’m sorry, I got absorbed in my work and I didn’t realise how late it was.  
There was an emergency, I couldn’t get away.  
It wasn’t my fault. The meeting overran and it would look bad if I left.  
My experiment exploded.

Cecil sighed and handed Carlos a sheet of paper.

Excuses for Carlos  
I'm going home. I have a life.  
Someone else can step up and learn to be the boss.  
I have to go because I have a date with the hottest radio host in town.

Carlos smiled.  
“Thanks Cecil, I think I will use all of these.”


	17. Vengeance

He smiled with smug satisfaction, only a little twinge of guilt spoiled his mood. He knew it was childish, beneath him to behave this way. But when the radio man said that mountains aren’t real, he had to do something. 

He’d had the radio man’s number for ages. He had plenty photographs from past holidays. Every hour he sent a new photograph of a snow-capped peak or a forested slope from a distance, with a three word caption. Mountains are real.

Now, just what was it he had said about the Moon? 

Even a scientist occasionally resorts to petty vengeance.


	18. Love

Scientifically speaking, it was the product of neurotransmitters and hormones. How he felt was logical.

He missed the rush of adrenaline that once weakened his knees, fluttered his stomach and dried his mouth, stole his clever words and turned him into an idiot whenever he heard that voice or gazed into those beautifully deep eyes.

He missed the anticipation before meeting, the nervous phone checking in case that buzz was important, the countdown of minutes until they met, the nervous "hi" and should they kiss right now or wait?

Instead they had warm, secure contentment, knew they were in love.


	19. Tears

Carlos wept three times in Night Vale.

The first was a few weeks after he arrived, tears of frustration after a manic week and an appallingly bad haircut.

The second was tears of overwhelming loneliness and some physical pain after a disastrous demonstration of how safe the town was from the tiny people living under lane five. 

The third was different. Lying awake with Cecil in his arms, silently sobbing tears of joy that he had found someone who loved him back in such an unlikely place.

Carlos failed to count the number of times he wept in the desert.


	20. My Inspiration

Janice was stumped. The essay was due in that day and, unusually, she had to rush her homework over breakfast while Dad told her off for being disorganised.

Who to choose!   
A famous person? No, they didn’t affect her life, knew nothing of her battles. They had different struggles.  
Dad? No way! She loved him but he was so incredibly annoying.  
Mayor Cardinal? Perhaps. But there were others who touched her life more firmly.

She smiled and started to write.   
“My inspiration is Uncle Cecil because he always finds a way to say what he thinks and never gives up."


	21. Never Again

Cecil went silent, horrified by Carlos's cruel words. 

Not his peaceful quiet mood, this silence was built on a foundation of fury. How dare Carlos! How could he belittle him in front of his team! Offering to read out his horoscope was nice, right? He would have made it personal. Carlos would have understood, thought about it and when the penny finally dropped perhaps make an excuse to leave early.

Cecil stormed out. Later, Carlos received a text.

_Taurus:_  
 _Look out for your foot which often finds its way into your mouth. Never again upset the man who loves you._

\-------------------------------

Carlos was mystified. All he said was, "horoscopes are superstitious nonsense for morons who don't know any better."

Cecil had been sitting by his bench watching Carlos finish work and reading the newspaper. They had picnic lunch plans which he hoped might extend to an afternoon walk in the park, perhaps with a little romance under the trees.

He was engrossed in finishing his experiment, hadn't been listening to Cecil. He heard "horoscope" and his response was automatic. "What just happened?" 

Dave told him, glaring.

_Aquarius:_   
_Your idiot boyfriend loves you. Never again will he fail to listen. Forgive him?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I made this one a double.


	22. Online

Carlos laughed at the woodcarvings of Khoshekh. They captured his feline arrogance perfectly.  
He smiled at the selfies: one grinning with the scowling, angry intern; another with a tired Mayor Dana. He reblogged, adding "Tell Dana congratulations!" 

Cecil had posted a video from the lab, Rochelle and Dave trying to teach him food tests on wheat-free pizza leftovers. It was good to see them too. Carlos giggled at the iodine stains on Cecil’s surprised face. Only he could need a full hazmat suit for that.

It wasn’t like being home but at least it made him feel less far away.


	23. Failure

Janice held out her test paper, head down, waiting for the inevitable.

Dad saw the grade, went quiet then launched into his "I'm not angry I'm disappointed" speech. You and me both, dad.

Uncle Cecil was great. "You got an F! Fabulous, fluent, funny. You're fantastic."

But Uncle Carlos. That was different, he had coached her for her science test. She wanted Uncle Carlos to be proud of her, not scold her. Carlos smiled and took the paper. He read and frowned, face deepening into a scowl.

"Janice, I'm proud of you. Writing scientific truth is the opposite of failure."


	24. Rebirth

Cecil fell deep in love as soon as he saw those eyes, that smile, the dark hair.  
He told everyone he knew and everyone he did not know  
that it felt like his rebirth.

He gently stroked a cheek with a single finger, disappointed not to prompt a smile or a look.  
That face so perfect! Would its owner thrive here?

He made a silent vow. He would do everything he could to love, to protect, to cherish.  
He held the fragile life close, secure.

"Cecil? You have to give her back," laughing. "I thought I'd call your niece _Janice_."


	25. Breaking Away

Carlos stared.  
"Me? they asked for me?"  
A nod.  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yes." The professor smiled. "They were quite insistent."  
"What about Alice or Suleman? They have more experience."  
"No, they asked for you by name."

"Who are they?"  
"Some private company interested in a strange little town for commercial reasons. Very well funded. You could pick your own team."  
He was still hesitant.

The professor sighed. Perhaps it was time for the truth.  
"Carlos, you don't fit in. We'd be glad to see you settle somewhere else. Breaking away from academia might be the best thing you ever do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh one quarter of the way through!


	26. Forever and a Day

I guessed the reason the day we met at my wedding. My new brother in law was welcoming.  
It was a strange welcome, but friendly all the same.

We chatted and his face changed.  
I told him about the people who watch us all and take notes.  
I told him what causes the lights that blink overhead.

He got angry, threatening, told me to shut up and called me names.  
Said I was a danger to his family.

All I do is tell the truth, as I understand it.  
I could wait forever and a day but he won’t forgive.


	27. Lost and Found

Carlos felt lost. Night Vale was weird, the most interesting place he had been so far.   
It took months to adapt, a year to accept it as home, another year to settle.   
Cecil helped. Meeting someone so unique, so unusual, so scientifically studiable, distracted from frequent horror.

He lost Night Vale, his home, his Cecil, because he did not belong. 

It took weeks to adapt, months to call the desert his home and masked warriors friends.   
Carlos found his love for science again in the most unlikely, scientifically interesting place of all. Home was wherever the most interesting science happened.


	28. Light

Dad didn’t let her listen to Uncle Cecil’s show. But she had a little radio that Uncle Carlos helped her build and earbuds that were a secret present last birthday. She never complained about going to bed on time on the nights when she could hide under the blanket, tune in and feign sleep.

At first she thought his stories strange and random. Then she overheard Dad arguing with Uncle Cecil one day and little jigsaw pieces fell into place.

She listened to the radio carefully next time. There was truth behind the fiction.  
Janice began to see the light.


	29. Dark

Dark when he opened his eyes after feeling the kick that sent him soaring.

Suddenly, a life of hunt and kill and fight and defend and search for shelter ended.  
Listen! A quiet hum from all around. A sudden hiss and gurgle from the side.  
Panic! Run! Scrabbling feet pushing nothing, soft yielding air.  
Yet still not falling.

No danger came, no teeth, no claws, no boots.

A flickering light buzzed above, startled noise, “Oh! What’s this?”  
He wriggled and squirmed but couldn’t evade the hand that scratched behind his ear.  
“Adorable! You arrived in darkness, I’ll call you Khoshekh.”


	30. Faith

Faith wasn’t a word Carlos often applied to himself. Once, he was expected to have faith in some supernatural creator who lived in a huge stone house with lofty arched ceilings and colourful glass windows. _He lives inside each of us_ said the man in the funny robes, making Carlos feel uncomfortable, like he had some spiritual parasite in his gut. But Carlos liked to watch the way the sunlight filtered predictably through coloured glass and the heat from the candles made smoke particles rise and dance in the slight air currents.

Strangely, attending church gave Carlos faith in science.


	31. Colours

Lavender, he thought as he gazed deep. Definitely lavender, but which variety? There were many to choose from. Hint of hyacinth? But again the colour wasn’t determined precisely enough for him. Minerals, maybe amethyst was closer? The rich, deep purple from the centre of the geode in the lounge or the paler, faded shade towards the crystal edges? Or heliotrope, no that was too blue. Lilac, yes, closer to lilac.

He stared deeper, lost in thoughts of colours, as Cecil’s eyes gazed up into his own until they closed in breathless ecstasy. Some things were definitely better done in daylight.


	32. Exploration

“Come ON Cecil!”  
Words hissed out in the dark. Cecil jumped and followed out into the night.  
“Follow me, can you see enough?”  
“I can’t see a thing!”  
A hand grabbed his, fingers laced together comfortably, leading him forward. He stumbled and crashed into his companion. An arm wrapped around his waist before he fell, but let him to the ground gently instead of helping him up. A body, warm against his, hands and lips and tongue making him groan and respond.  
“Earl… Oh…”

It was not the midnight exploration they had planned, but their discoveries were just as exciting.


	33. Seeing Red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Buffy. This might make more sense if you watch the episode.   
> Better still, start from S1 e01 and watch the lot.   
> You don't need to go anywhere this week, do you?

Carlos pressed _play,_ the DVD whirred.  
“Season six, episode nineteen _Seeing Red”_  
“Shush, Carlos, I want to watch _Buffy_ without your running commentary.”  
“But this episode…”  
“I mean it! Oh look, they made up. Neat!”  
Carlos laughed. “Do I get your commentary instead?”

Later, after beer, “Xander’s a dick. He should be kinder.”  
Carlos shifted his arm, knowing what the next scene brought.  
Cecil sat forward.  
“No! What are you doing!?”

Later still, a snigger, “He deserved smashed orbs for that.”

“Does the broken blond vampire get fixed?”  
“No spoilers.”

“NO! WHY? Why would they do that to lovely Tara!”


	34. Shades of Grey

He should have known, taken observations of past behaviour, examined evidence and predicted results.

This was a rare moment Carlos allowed impulsive behaviour to risk his life. The librarian saw him. He clasped the book to his chest, backed slowly down the aisle between rows of biography, rounded the corner and slipped the book into his pocket, ran for the self service desk. 

Made it! Shaking and sweating, a thumbprint and barcode beep opened the door. He stumbled out, safe.

Cecil was mystified by his boyfriend's choice.  
"Carlos? I wanted _Fifty Shades of Grey_ , not a pictorial guide to blinds!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read this instead:  
> http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_of_Grey_1:_The_Road_to_High_Saffron


	35. Forgotten

Carlos watched from the lighthouse, studied one driftwood framed picture after another.  
Where did the driftwood came from? Why was there a lighthouse when there was no sea?  
Science told him the desert was a sea once, the mountain an island poking its nose above the waves.  
What was the purpose of the lighthouse? Guiding light? Warning beacon?

Perhaps the masked warriors were descendants of a seafaring tribe.

He found Cecil's picture. Cecil sat alone, glass in one hand, head in the other.

Carlos touched the cheek of the unhappy, lonely image.  
"I promise, my love, you are not forgotten."


	36. Dreamer

He knew he was a dreamer.

He dreamed of a normal life in a normal place with a normal family.  
Of being able to walk into town without the itchy feeling of being followed.  
Of a life devoid of black sedans and government agencies, Sheriffs and Secret Police officers who did not even bother to hide any more.  
Of being able to talk without everything he said being recorded, listened to over again, misinterpreted meanings teased out of context.

A life with truth instead of speculation and lies.

Steve often dreamed of a life ordinary enough to keep Janice safe.


	37. Mist

"Wear these."  
Carlos put on goggles and handed a pair to Cecil. He thought Cecil looked _really_ good in a lab coat.  
He poured a little alcohol into the big soda bottle and swirled it around. He jammed the rubber bung into the top and attached the tubing to a foot-pump.

"Ready? Pump! Twelve, Eleven..."

The countdown ended in unison. Carlos popped the bung out of the bottle. Cecil gasped and giggled as the bottle filled with white mist.

"How did you do that?"  
"Pressure..."  
A frown.  
"Is that how clouds form?"  
"No."  
"Good. We're not allowed to know that."


	38. Burning

"Your ears are burning, someone's talking about you. Hope it's good."  
Ma told Carlos that when he was small. She reached over, pinched his pinna and he blushed and ran away. She laughed and so did he.

He was much older, greying and somewhat cynical, when he lost his ties with home and moved to the strangest city. He sought solace in science and avoided social events.

He missed hearing human voices. There was a radio show he liked: the man with the calm, reassuring voice was talking about him. Carlos's ears were burning, he blushed for it was good.


	39. Out of time

Carlos lounged in bed, watching as Cecil fussed about getting dressed. His hair was messy; his shirt was half on and half off. His sleeves were on but the shoulders were not. He put one leg into his pants, pulled them above his knees, lifted the other leg then overbalanced onto the bed.

Carlos laughed, sat up, pulled Cecil into a hug and a kiss.   
“I’m out of time!” protested Cecil, complaint melting into passionate compliance.  
Carlos smiled, stroked the half-dressed body from chest to oh, you know...  
“We can do this as quick or as slow as you like.”


	40. Knowing How

It started with words. A calm disembodied voice said his name. He liked the soothing tone although the voice said strange things. He shrugged it off at first.

Weeks passed, months, the voice changed. It still said his name but the tone was more... nervous? Enthusiastic? Deranged. Carlos had a face to picture as he heard the voice, a name in his contacts if he needed it. Cecil, he said to himself. But he didn’t have time for frivolity, for friends. 

Bleeding outside the miniature city he made an unsettling discovery.  
Carlos had fallen in love accidentally, without knowing how.


	41. Fork in the Road

Instinct told him to run, to flee. He drove away from town, feeling calm settle over him with distance. Every extra mile brought his breathing and heartbeat closer to normal. 

It shouldn’t be like this. There should be investigation, discovery, observation and data.  
Not pain, blood and fear.

He stopped at a fork in the road, one he expected to join the highway but gradually narrowed and twisted, slippery with sand. 

He sat in the car, engine running, eyes closed.  
Asked himself one question.  
What did he want?

Carlos texted then turned the car around.  
 _Meet me behind the Arby’s_


	42. Start

Cecil arrived barely aware of how he got there. He drove, at least he was in his car. He parked in the row one back from the economical hybrid coupe.

He got out, nervous hands fumbling the lock and dropping his keys. The still, silent figure didn't hear him curse or see him reach down. He walked over, stopped three steps away.  
"What is it?"

The still figure spoke, always looking at the lights above.  
 _Nothing. I just wanted to see you._  
It was not the declaration of love Cecil hoped for, but they understood that it was a start.


	43. Nature's Fury

His jaw dropped and he shook as he backed off slowly. All he said was that he knew who the figures in the black sedan were, knew who they worked for. He was unprepared for the wrath aimed at him.

You. Know. NOTHING! You moron! You JERK!  
The other man stepped forwards, gesticulating. His face was twisted into a furnace, burning anger as fuel to make something far more potent. 

He prepared for a blow that thankfully did not come. Steve saw the man deliberately close his eyes and breathe deep. Nature's fury had nothing on his brand new brother-in-law.


	44. At Peace

Cecil stood in the break room. It was difficult, despite the transdimensional nature of the space that fascinated Carlos so much, there was standing room only. The room was not crowded, exactly. There were people here, interns mostly. They were all quite dead.

Except for that one who was not quite dead. Give it another minute. Cecil wondered if he could have helped but he was really afraid of spiderwolves. Throwing his shoe at this one had not improved matters. 

He read all the names on the memorial plaques, a weekly ritual of his, and hoped they were at peace.


	45. Heart Song

Vena cava takes your blood  
from your body to your heart  
deoxygenated that's why the journey starts  
right atrium and ventricle  
then pulmon'ry art'ry to your lungs  
Dump the Cee-Oh-two and become a bit less blue  
Pick up oxygen and get nice and red again  
pulmonary vein takes it back to heart again  
left atrium then left ventricle pumps high pressure oxygenated blood into the aorta...

"Uncle Caaaarloooos? I need help with my homework. I have to write and sing a heart song."  
"The science is fine Janice, but please ask Uncle Cecil about a different tune. I hate Agadoo."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've never heard "Agadoo" please don't google it.  
> If you have, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It'll be gone eventually.


	46. Reflection

He knew that some questions were simply not scientific.

Like "how do you feel?"

He would say, if challenged, that everything depends on science. Feelings are a product of brain chemistry and altering the ratio of different substances alters mood. Hormones and neurotransmitters along with any other factors like presence of alcohol or blood glucose. Science, right?

He could not quite explain the feeling he got every time he saw Cecil and his scientific world shrank to a pinpoint beside the man from the radio. Cecil hinted about dinner and maybe weekend plans.

On reflection he felt good about that.


	47. Perfection

Carlos wanted perfection. For Cecil. The lovely voice on the radio said he was perfect but he knew it wasn't true. He could not live up to that ideal, but he could try.

He tidied himself up. He wore the same flannel shirts and jeans below his lab coat but they were usually clean these days. He shaved more often, twice weekly rather than the twice daily routine his father advised. He showered every day and noticed his hair did a kind of whoosh thing when he turned his head. He liked it.

Now, to learn the art of conversation...


	48. Everyday Magic

"I don't know what you do that makes me feel so good."

Cecil lay spent in Carlos's arms as the third alarm beeped. Carlos had woken early, warm and sleepy, wanting. He sprawled over Cecil.   
"Sorry did I wake you?"  
"I'm asleep. Are you planning on waking me gently?"  
Carlos kissed his shoulder and traced lazy fingers down his chest.  
"Mmhmm, gently."   
Cecil arched into Carlos's touch as clever hands coaxed his shuddering and panting body back to life.

Carlos could explain it with science, but chose not to.   
To Cecil, a little everyday magic made reality easier to face.


	49. Umbrella

Carlos was feeling unappreciated. Here he was, stuck in an otherworldly desert dimension with only sporadic contact with home, doing his very best to save his adoptive community. Dana politely stifled a giggle when she saw what he had made. Doug shrugged, it was beyond his experience. Maureen pointed and laughed openly, asked if he was insane. 

He had considered that possibility but the evidence didn't fit.

And now Cecil! The infuriating man knew what a serious scientist he was. Even Cecil's sonorous voice had sounded doubtful. He tried again.

"It does way more. It only LOOKS like an umbrella!"


	50. Party

It was a celebration despite what everyone might think. He didn't want pitying glances, sadness. His boyfriend, the scientist who saved them all, was fine. He was fine. They were fine.

Sure he missed Carlos. Of course he hated waking up alone not quite able to remember going to bed. But he would celebrate their anniversary. He had agreed it with Carlos. Carlos who didn't need to eat or sleep. Cecil would go somewhere nice, call Carlos, Skype during dinner if there was wifi. They could still do things together. They'd proved that once already today.

"Palmer, party of one?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halfway!


	51. Troubling Thoughts

He smiled wide at his counterpart who did not look exactly his twin. The eyes, the horrible eyes that saw things. His own ceased to bother him long ago. The mouth that would not smile.

The vortex that brought the sandstorm brought him troubling thoughts, visions and memories of having... a brother? 

He snarled through tight, upturned lips and embraced the man. Firm grip, crushing ribs and preventing movement, suffocating. In return the man hugged back, insistent hands around his neck, squeezing, choking.  
Then he let go and was gone.

Kevin's smile faltered at the gore in his studio. Vanessa?


	52. Stirring of the Wind

Carlos stood at the front of the little crowd, facing hostile glares. This was not a town that welcomed strangers. He explained, "We're scientists and this is the most scientifically interesting community." 

The faces did not soften. He tried again. "Did you know there's a house that does not exist and earthquakes nobody feels?"

Two faces shone. The old lady who brought corn muffins and spoke kind words harshly. And was it a breeze, the stirring of the wind in his hair that made him shiver when he locked eyes with the man who smiled and held up a microphone?


	53. Future

He did not have a way with words and he knew it.

He thought about what to say, wrote it down and rehearsed silently at first then aloud when nobody was listening, clasping the little box in his pocket.

"I have been thinking, you know that is what I do. About my future. Our futures. The future is so uncertain, unfixed, changeable. But every time I imagine my future, you are part of it. Cecil, will you..."

He sensed it before he turned. A presence in the room behind him. A deep but soft voice.

"Carlos? Yes, oh glowcloud, yes."


	54. Health and Healing

He opened his eyes and did not see although he could sense his surroundings now. The smiling god fixed that for him. Blind from birth with void black eyes, he stumbled and bumped through childhood until he learned layouts, at the mercy of thoughtless rearrangement.

He sensed the room, the presence by his side, smelled his blood. His pointed fingers explored the stitching that kept his face in position, eye holes opened and lips curled. Kevin's doubts began to fade. He was made more perfect, fixed.

He had good health and he was healing. These were things to smile about.


	55. Separation

Cecil woke first for a change and watched the peaceful creature beside him in the half light. He lay still so as not to disturb the man who had earned this rest. It was a rare treat to watch Carlos sleep, face relaxed into a slight frown, breathing even and deep, eyelashes flickering. 

He propped himself up to see better for a moment, rolled closer, careful slow movement as he looped an arm over his waist and laid a head on his shoulder, quiet sigh.

Carlos opened his eyes and smiled, stepping over the slight separation between sleep and wakefulness.


	56. Everything for You

She had to learn, she was old enough to start thinking about being independent. It hurt him, seeing her struggle so when it felt natural to step in. But it wouldn’t be helping, not really.

He wouldn’t be around forever and her uncle, although she hero worshipped him, wasn’t any younger.

Steve could see Janice getting angry with him for not helping, knew she would sulk, knew he was right to be harsh. Knew she would try and try and right her chair by herself. He called from the kitchen.

“Seriously? Do you want me to do _everything_ for you?”


	57. Slow Down

Janice rubbed her arm and scowled. Dad was being a... she didn't finish the sentence in her head. Uncle Cecil said bad things about her dad to Uncle Carlos when he thought she was asleep in their spare room but would not let her join in.

She told him about dad making her right her chair herself and pull herself back into it from the ground. She might have let herself cry a little. Uncle Cecil went quiet. Uncle Carlos took her outside for a physics lesson about centripetal forces and friction.

She would remember to slow down for turns.


	58. Heartfelt Apology

"There's a right way and a wrong way, jerk!"

Steve sighed. All he tried to do was make Janice be a little more, what was it Carlos said? Self reliant. She'd been racing around the house, cornered too quickly and toppled. She wasn't hurt. Surprised, but not in pain.

What if she did it when he was out? Or outside? She righted herself after a struggle and a tantrum.

Carlos frowned at Cecil. Janice giggled.

"Janice, I'm sorry I was mean about..."

"Janice! Oh, Janice, I am so sorry I called your dad a jerk right in front of you!"


	59. Challenged

"I have challenged you, you have to play." Cecil explained patiently.  
Earl nodded. "Just one game."

Cecil unfolded a board that was subtly different from Monopoly.  
"I'll be the radio. Earl, you can have the tent. Carlos, this is yours," he handed Carlos a tiny pewter Erlenmeyer flask. 

Cecil clarified the rules.  
"Don't land on the dog park, visit Big Rico's at least every third circuit, there is no _get out of void free_ card. Losers have to do whatever the winner says for twenty four hours."

Carlos and Earl smiled at each other and decided to play to lose.


	60. Exhaustion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me for this.  
> I was thinking of doing a longer, proper story version.

Subject discovered wandering in wasteland south of city, suffering from exhaustion. Brought here by police. Not violent but exhibits signs of frustration when staff fail to understand his "science".

Subject had one outburst when he dropped his phone and cracked the screen. He calmed immediately when damaged phone substituted for identical model set to display screenshot showing wifi and 97% battery.

Subject claims to be a scientist called Carlos but when questioned in detail resorts to, "Aaaah, science!" as explanation.

Subject obsessed with contacting someone named Cecil in a town called Night Vale. All efforts to trace Cecil have failed.


	61. Accuracy

Carlos looked at his watch, at the wall clock then at the digital time in the bottom of the computer screen. They conflicted.  
It wasn’t just that the clocks didn’t work, although that was true. Time itself didn’t work properly. It ran slow in Night Vale. His watch, the one that arrived with him, was the only timepiece he trusted and still it was wrong. It showed noon too early or midnight too late sometimes on the same day.

Carlos felt powerless and frustrated. How was he supposed be punctual to dates with Cecil with any accuracy under these conditions?


	62. Irregular Orbit

It started when Carlos missed another date because he didn’t know what time it was. Cecil, annoyed and hurt, wanted to be sure his feelings were reciprocated. He did not like to be second choice. He stepped back, didn’t call or text, ignored and waited. 

Carlos texted then called then called repeatedly, the period between his calls getting ever shorter as his fear that he deserved to be left increased. At last, the relief of a friendly reply.

The scientist felt like he had been captured in a highly irregular orbit by the force of attraction around his radio star.


	63. Cold Embrace

Cecil returned to an empty house, tired and downcast after another day where random people offered pity, hit hard with sympathy. Perhaps he should talk less about Carlos. Keep his life more private, share less of his pain and his joy.

There was joy. When he heard Carlos’s ringtone, heard his voice excited about all his new discoveries, heard him say _miss you too, Cecil._

Today there was sadness. A short message, no call, no _love you,_ no _I’m coming home._  
Cecil opened the refrigerator, removed the bottle he abused most days for comfort. He almost welcomed its cold embrace.


	64. Frost

"Let me see your homework."  
Steve held out a hand for the book filled with familiar handwriting and margin art.  
"Daaaad, I need time. This is difficult. Uncle Cecil helped me start, now I'm stuck."  
"What is it Honey? Sorry, Janice?"  
"The Night Vale Political System and Mayoral Elections."  
"I can help. Have you mentioned Hidden Gorge and the futility of voting in a police state run by a dictator we never see?"  
Janice frowned. "Uncle Cecil said best not to mention that, stick to the official story until..."  
Janice froze. She could see the frost in her stepfather's face.


	65. A Moment in Time

Carlos went to the lighthouse often, watching the pictures move, looking for Cecil and calling to ask if his activity matched the picture. It was science, he convinced himself. Find out if the scene he saw fitted Cecil's.

Generally it didn't. The time lag between his desert time and Cecil's was as erratic as usual.

But just once, he saw Cecil drinking wine, staring at his phone, silent tears. He called and watched the image wipe his face on his sleeve and answer.

"Carlos? My love, good to hear you!"  
"Cecil! At last, a moment in time where we match."


	66. Dangerous Territory

Carlos stared at Steve. The question sounded innocent, just slipped out in the middle of a conversation about the town's quirks: angels, different colours of helicopter, black sedans and one deerskin suitcase.

"Cecil thinks it's awesome that you could be working for some secret agency we don't know about. Isn't that odd? It would be so dangerous, I hope it's not true. You're good for him. I'd hate for him to lose you."

Carlos had to guard his tongue, keep a carefully neutral expression. What did the laughable conspiracy theorist really know? 

This amicable chat was straying into dangerous territory.


	67. Boundaries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two thirds done!

Carlos closed his eyes and sighed as Cecil waxed lyrical on the air again about something he had said. Something private. He read out an email. Fortunately his eyes must have scanned ahead of his voice because he stuttered to a stop, suddenly substituting the graphic description Carlos sent describing just exactly why Cecil should get home on time tonight with _et cetera._

Later, after Carlos had done everything good he promised to do with his boyfriend, he tackled the issue.  
"Cecil, I have boundaries. About sharing things. There are some things we should keep, you know, just for us."


	68. Unsettling Revelations

Carlos liked local radio. It formed a quiet, constant background to his labwork and provided company at home. The shows were odd but he had a favourite, late at night a calm presenter spoke in measured tones that Carlos liked to hear as he fell asleep.

Three unsettling revelations hit in succession. First, the sonorous night-time radio host had a crush on him. Second, as he lay back listening to the voice call their planned meeting _a date,_ he touched himself and dreamed of kissing the mouth that made those wonderful words. Third, he was afraid of falling in love.


	69. Shattered

Carlos complained as he hoisted his end of the heavy frame.  
“His mirror thing is weird. There’s no scientific reason to avoid reflections. How does he drive? I worry about his safety sometimes.”

“We all have phobias, boss. Remember that spider you screamed about yesterday?”

“Rochelle, there’s no need to bring that up, ever. He went frantic when he saw this on my bedroom wall.”

Carlos’s grip slipped and the huge mirror shattered on the concrete steps outside the apartment. Rochelle pointed at the shards and laughed.

“Cecil was in your bedroom? How bad of a cock block was that!”


	70. Bitter Silence

A bitter silence surrounded them. 

They both knew they should be friends, they had enough in common. Even mutual acquaintances said they had similar interests although they couldn’t see why.

They sat opposite each other at the dinner table, glaring, daring the other to speak first.  
“She needs to know the truth, Cecil, even your sister agrees. And Carlos said…”  
“Don’t you DARE drag Carlos into this! She needs to know what people are allowed to know, the truth is IRRELEVANT!”

Silence fogged around them again. They would not agree, never agree to disagree.

Not where Janice’s safety was concerned.


	71. The True You

Carlos stood, lab-coat on, goggles perched atop his head, iPad in hand, noting numbers from machines that hummed and buzzed. A voice projected from behind.

"Can you take a break?"

"Busy."

"I'm sorry."

Carlos turned to Cecil, his surroundings cooling his temper despite the morning's fiery argument.  
"I regret my anger but there are some things... Aah."  
He shrugged and turned back to his work.

Cecil stalked carefully closer, his boyfriend's vulnerable moment fresh in mind.  
"I forget that you wear science like armour, like a disguise. I'm honoured that you trust me enough to see the true, imperfect you."


	72. Pretence

It started after one of his shows. Steve only listened to find out what new danger threatened his family. Cecil gave a thinly disguised message about cooperating with authorities.

Steve knew who they were. He met Cecil after his show, tried to talk sense into his double-brother. Cecil completely blanked him.

Steve threw his hands up in despair, yelling at Cecil’s back as he walked away.

“How can you be okay with this pretence that we are safe?”

Cecil couldn’t intervene as a van slewed to a stop next to Steve and two uniformed figures bundled him into the back.


	73. Patience

Carlos was used to being alone. How do you meet people anyway, if you don’t like bars and clubs and don’t want to make another painful mistake? 

Being alone gave him permission to develop habits, like working whatever hours he felt like and eating nonstandard meals at unusual times.

He had science. He was content, mostly, with science. He loved science.

But although science tolerated his quirks, encouraged them even, it would never love him in return.

Adjusting to being in a relationship was difficult. Too often he caused careless hurt and begged forgiveness.

“Cecil? Please have patience with me.”


	74. Midnight

He stalked the house at midnight, prowling from bedroom to landing, slinking carefully and silently down softly carpeted stairs. Along the hallway, wooden floor cool on his bare feet, past the living room to the kitchen, all the while trying not to alert the other presence in the house to his intentions. 

He did not want to have to share.

Into the kitchen, padding quietly across to the fridge, hooking around the failing rubber of the seal, pulling and pulling until it opened with a rattle.

He blinked in unexpected brightness, startled by sound.

“KHOSHEKH! _Out of the fridge NOW!”_


	75. Shadows

He was not afraid of darkness. Shadows were different. Shadows shifted silently, flickered and flew from one side of the dim room to the other as strange lights roared past the window. He slunk from his refuge, watching from the corner with careful eyes, listening for danger, looking for…

There!

A shadow moved. This time he would have it. He crouched, triangulating with a head swing, preparing powerful haunches with a wiggle.  
He pounced.

Suddenly airborne, he yowled as he landed, bolted back behind the sofa.

_”Khoshekh! For the sake of the old gods stop sneaking up on my feet!”_


	76. Summer Haze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any excuse, any vague tenuous connection will do.   
> For psychosomatic86 who probably thinks I've forgotten that request for tent porn.

Peering out at the morning summer haze. A hand shook his leg.

 _”Shut the flap! It’s early. Nobody’s up.”_  
He caterpillared back, confined by his sleeping bag, sniggering.

 _”I’m up, you’re Early.”_  
 _”Cecil!”_ half giggled.

Cecil kissed Earl, slowly snaking a hand inside the warm sleeping bag, finding his target. Earl wriggled into Cecil’s electric touch, panting with pleasure. A hand over his mouth just in time as he came.  
Moments later Earl’s fist stifled Cecil’s cries. 

“GOOD MORNING SCOUTS! LAST UP’S A LOSER!”

Earl and Cecil lingered over a kiss. They’d be last again but didn’t feel like losers.


	77. Memories

Holding hands under starlight on a night hike lit by no moon.

Their first kiss next day, shielded by canvas, fumbling and furtive, their last activity before breaking camp.

Their second tense kiss a week later in his bedroom, poised to spring apart, alert for footsteps.

Their third when Cecil sneaked over, climbed through his window, afraid because his mother and brother were not home. 

Their fourth next morning, warm and comforting, waking together at sunrise. 

Their fifth led to so much more.

 Earl thought it particularly cruel that such sweet memories of Cecil remained while Cecil calmly forgot him. 


	78. Change in the Weather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How could I resist the opportunity to bombard you with a few of my favourite and one of my most hated tracks of all time?
> 
> Go on, guess the one I despise...

Cecil stared at the list of City Council endorsed tracks and sighed. None conveyed the weather at all. With help from an intern, he hit YouTube.

Hmm... What to pick?

For Carlos perhaps [ this ](http://youtu.be/R7hjm-ODUTU) or [this](http://youtu.be/ktvTqknDobU) or maybe an indulgent and tearful [probably not.](http://youtu.be/iUiTQvT0W_0) But what he felt was [this.](http://youtu.be/kIsyQ2qCDQ8)

There were so many to choose from!

For that jerk, Steve, maybe [this one](http://youtu.be/QAzESJ62irI) or [definitely this](http://youtu.be/h0JvF9vpqx8) would speak to him.

Janice would like [Kirsty McColl](http://youtu.be/DL2GmaI3Xus) , probably make her laugh. 

Earl might like [something](http://youtu.be/v5aur6XEfz0) to remind him of his job.

But for everyone else, [this](http://youtu.be/gTw2YvutJRA) and [this](http://youtu.be/rqQT3oKA3v8) fit the bill.


	79. Illogical

"Earl, you're not doing it right."  
"Cecil, this is dumb, can't we just watch the episode again? It's repeated on Wednesday."  
"I can't wait that long. I love the show so much! You be Spock and I'll be Kirk."  
"Cecil..."

"Spock!"  
Earl rolled his eyes.   
"Captain... urgh. Do I have to play?"  
"No."

Cecil looked at the ground, removed the Starfleet badges they had made and pocketed his model communicator. The top even flipped.   
Earl felt bad but he didn't know how to play pretend games.

"It's illogical to pretend to be something you're not."  
Cecil perked up.  
"That's perfect!" 


	80. Only Human

Carlos's head was reeling. Another radio show where he was _perfect_ or _lovely_ or _this station's favourite_ or something idiotic like that. 

His colleagues listened and giggled, asked about the man from the radio who was _very into science_ and tried to find excuses to make Carlos have to call him.

And he did call, although he didn't remember. On the radio, there he was, arranging a coffee date. No, NOT A DATE! He yelled at the radio but it made no difference.

He entered the cafe nervously, saw Cecil's smile and heard, "Perf..."  
"Please, Cecil, stop. I'm only human."


	81. A Place To Belong

Carlos sighed. His team were not good scientists sometimes. They had been brought up with assistants and technicians following in their wake of displaced equipment, used glassware and filthy petri dishes.

It wasn't his job but he couldn't stand it any longer. He donned his dirtiest labcoat, gloves and a mask. Carlos toured the lab, bagging and tagging items for disposal in the basement furnace. He collected salvageable glassware in a bucket to soak. Last, he replaced all moved equipment back to shelves and cupboards.

He mused as he sterilised the benchtops. Everything had a place to belong. Except him.


	82. Advantage

Carlos listened with frustration bordering on anger.   
He suppressed his urge to scream at his phone as the online radio app with Cecil's voice announced another statement loaded with mistimed need. 

_Carlos? Call me._

He felt like every syllable Cecil said reminded him that he was a terrible boyfriend.

_I can't call you. Right now your number doesn't work and I'm afraid that I'm lost._

One advantage to their long distance love was that by the rare moments that his timeline and Cecil's matched well enough for a call, anger and fear would have evaporated like dew from desert rocks.


	83. Breakfast

Cecil woke late with sunlight tumbling in. Had he left the curtains open all night? He couldn't remember going to bed. Perhaps he had seen something yesterday.

He sat up, confused. Odd that he was naked. His clothes were strewn over the floor. He started gathering, shaking and folding.  
He froze. Noises came from the rest of the apartment. He pulled on yesterdays shorts and a teeshirt he didn't remember owning, silently pushed the door open, crept out.

"I made breakfast. You look cute in my teeshirt."  
Last night. Carlos. Dinner and a movie and wine. Cecil smiled, remembering everything.


	84. Echoes

“No that’s not it at all!” Carlos tried to explain again. “I called out, the sound reflected over and over from the canyon walls. We heard reflected sound. Echoes.”

Cecil did not want to be convinced.

“Really? It sounded different. Try again and I’ll put you on speakerphone and listen more carefully.”

Carlos sighed. “Whatever you want. Ready?” He called out one more time.

Cecil listened, smiling. “No, sorry. Do it again.”

“Cecil, are you not tired of hearing me yell _Carlos loves Cecil_ over and over?”

Cecil laughed, wondering when Carlos would figure it out. “No, not yet. Again?”


	85. Falling

Carlos started listening to the radio after he noticed his fellow scientists tuning in quietly and giggling, darting glances at him across the lab as he worked.

Eventually he asked. They admitted their suspicion that the man on the radio had a crush. He scoffed, told them, “grow up,” but next time he said, “louder.”

Initial burning embarrassment cooled to warmth as weeks passed and everyone noticed he smiled more when he heard his name and less when the strange man seemed to forget him. He called, for science.

Slowly, unexpectedly, Carlos realised he was falling for a beautiful voice.


	86. Picking up the Pieces

Their life together had a public face, a public voice. 

It led to friction when Cecil told his microphone things that Carlos wanted kept for themselves, when he endured knowing smiles and comments from strangers. It was too much.

Angry, embarrassed after a trip to the Ralph's, Carlos confronted Cecil as soon as he got home. Their volcanic argument ended with tears after an unwise ultimatum. 

_Oh no, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, I would never... I love you..._

Picking up the pieces of their relationship, Carlos reluctantly accepted that their love was never going to be entirely private.


	87. Gunshot

Cecil jumped as if he'd heard gunshot.

He got up from his armchair, searched for the source of the voice he had not heard so close in months. Was it real? Was his thumping heart allowed to feel joy at last?

"Carlos! Are you here? Carlos?"

Carlos materialised.

"Hi Cecil!" He smiled and held out his hand. Cecil reached out and passed straight through him. "Damn it, I thought I'd be more solid this time. Science, you know. Then we could... interact. I'm still trying to find a way to be more real to you."

Cecil sighed. "Just come home."


	88. Possession

Janice looked at her homework diary.

_My most treasured possession is…_

“What a stupid essay! Daa-aaad, can I have a note to say my homework is too dumb to be worth doing?”

“No. If you’d spent time actually doing your homework instead of complaining you’d be finished already.”

“I hate you.”  
“That’s okay.”

Janice looked at her blank page and sighed. 

Wheelchair? No, she could kinda get around without.

Family? Urgh, people are not possessions.

An idea.

“My most treasured possession is the pen Uncle Carlos gave me to write down science. I’m not wasting its precious ink on this.”


	89. Twilight

Carlos liked walking outdoors with Cecil, away from streetlights, holding hands at sunset until under cover of darkness they bumped closer. They’d sit and watch the stars, or lights, depending on what was scheduled for Radon Canyon. They’d talk quietly of futures, of love, of how their lives meshed.

Here, in constant harsh light, in a desert with no twilight fading to comforting darkness, Carlos found it hard to remember those long warm evenings in the sand wastes around the town he called _home._

He texted Cecil.

_Tonight, walk like we used to, watch our stars and think of me._


	90. Nowhere and Nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only ten more to go!

He was nowhere with nothing to do. Waiting in the void gave Earl plenty of time to think. 

He had never been comfortable inside his own head. Now he had a stark choice: cope or slide into insanity. He focused first on memories of childhood: school, graduation, friends. One best friend in particular.

For the future, Earl invented lives for himself, worlds he would live in. One fantasy world haunted him. He imagined for himself a family and a career less fraught with danger, a friend rediscovering him.

He never imagined waking up one day and finding it was real.


	91. Answers

"Daaad, why do people die?"

Steve frowned.   
"Honey, they wear out like cars. Bodies last until they're too old and then they stop working properly."

"Oh."  
There was a pause as Janice processed this information.

"Daaad, what happened to my other dad? The first one? I don't remember him. Mom said he died. He wasn't old."  
Steve sighed.  
"Then that must be what happened."

Steve thought of a story he had heard about a black sedan and a nighttime raid, a crying wife and a screaming child.

"It was just his time. I wish I had better answers for you."


	92. Innocence

Carlos wore whatever was clean, comfortable and convenient. To avoid clashing, his clothing collection comprised jeans, plaid shirts and plain tees. It all looked the same under a labcoat.

There was only one shirt left, colourful silk with a contrasting bowtie. A gift, unworn.

“Cecil, where are my other clothes?”  
“Laundry. They were dirty. I cleaned up.”

Carlos walked into the kitchen wearing the new shirt and tie. It felt unusual, but nice.

“Did you deliberately hide all my shirts except this one?”  
“No!”

Cecil’s smile then his artfully arranged look of innocence told Carlos all he needed to know.


	93. Simplicity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For psychosomatic86, who liked Cecearlos.  
> It was going to be Cecilos, but I'm happy either way.

Earl woke with Cecil's head nestled into his shoulder, his arm around his love's shoulders felt numb.

Cecil's leg hooked over Earl's thighs and his arm draped across his waist. Earl shifted his numb limb a little, making Cecil _Mmmm_ and wriggle closer. Earl turned to kiss the top of Cecil's head, nuzzling soft hair.

Cecil smiled, Earl felt Cecil's features shift against his skin. The arm around Earl's waist moved lower, Cecil's hand slipping down, lightly stroking Earl's erection before coming to rest gently cupping his groin. 

Earl smiled at the simplicity of the action and sighed in contentment.


	94. Reality

Carlos was home!

Cecil was so happy he cried in his sleep, his arms around the soft warm form beside him. He craved closeness and companionship more than anything. He had missed the way their warm bodies fitted together, small spoon Carlos curled up with big spoon Cecil wrapped around him. He knew they moved around in sleep but often woke in this position. 

He buried his face into fabric that smelled comfortably familiar.

Cecil woke from his dream hugging a pillow covered by a damp tee-shirt, returning to the reality that Carlos was still a voice on the phone.


	95. Acceptance

Carlos surveyed the horizon, eyes narrowed, scanning the circle surrounding him where pink sand met too-bright sky. The only feature breaking that perfect line was the mountain with the lighthouse with the red light that no longer blinked.

The acceptance that he was trapped here indefinitely made Carlos feel better somehow. 

Science filled his time with a mixture of excitement and predictability as he tested and refined theories, designed equipment and made measurements.

He wondered if he had given up too quickly. A scientist is tenacious in the search for truth, right? The search for knowledge.

The search for home?


	96. Lesson

He was old enough to think he knew all there was to know about himself. 

Girlfriends drifted away citing neglect, he hadn't considered boyfriends. Carlos assumed he wasn't the type to fall in love. He felt relief when family and friends finally stopped setting him up. He moved on.

Immediately, the man on the radio in this strange little city started to talk of perfection, of falling in love instantly. A joke? Probably. Carlos held back, confused and unsure.

Sitting on his car, with Cecil beside him waiting for his touch, Carlos started to learn an important lesson about love.


	97. Enthusiasm

It was their second date.

Carlos ended their first with a nervous kiss. Cecil appeared too surprised to respond and Carlos escaped to the emotional safety of science. Cecil didn’t call afterwards, but communicated in his own way.

Carlos waited, wondered where the borderline lay between too early and too late.

Eventually _I am calling for personal reasons…_   
That evening they sat facing each other, sharing pizza.

Carlos took Cecil’s hand, led him away from the restaurant. In a quiet corner of the park he kissed Cecil for the second time and Cecil responded to this tentative action with enthusiasm.


	98. Game

Cecil loved bowling, he was good at it. Teddy Williams kept a blockade around lane five but otherwise kept the place open. Cecil’s team got back into the league on the strength of his skill and Josie’s accuracy.

Down a member, Cecil thought of Carlos. He’d mentioned bowling once, Carlos sounded interested. He was a scientist, he must know about collisions and stuff, right?

Carlos wasn’t keen. He asked to be allowed to practise first, Cecil scoffed and said no, he was going to help them win.

Cecil scowled as Carlos pointed out later that it was just a game.


	99. Friendship

Cecil and Earl giggled as they drank orange milk and yelled rude tales at the moon. 

When they tired of the lack of response, Earl talked about his plans for the future of the Night Vale Scouts Association: new badges he thought he could introduce, new recruitment methods, new blood. Literally.

Cecil chatted about his internship at NVCR and Mr Burton's plans to retire as soon as Cecil got some voice coaching to remove the calming tones and replace them with something more easily able to keep his listeners alert.

They linked arms and swore their friendship would last forever.


	100. Endings

Carlos stared, eyes wide, mouth open, at the big screen TV he had bought and set up that day ready for _pizza and a movie_ date night in.

They both loved this film. Carlos expressed surprise that they hadn't thought to rent it before now. They watched, laughed at familiar jokes, sang along with familiar songs and joined in with lines of familiar dialogue. Carlos's Buzz to Cecil's Woody.

He spoke at last, still stunned by the quantity of blood.

"Cecil, I don't remember the toy soldiers having real guns."

In Night Vale, things never had the endings he expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sigh*   
> Last one.  
> I will miss writing these.


End file.
